Community Giving

The Bell Tower Memorial

Oconomowoc, Wis. – First Bank Financial Centre (FBFC) recently donated $10,000 to the Bell Tower Memorial. The Bell Tower Memorial will be located in the City of Pewaukee, about two blocks north of I-94 on the corner of Hwy. 164 and Busse Rd., adjacent to Pilgrim’s Rest Cemetery.

The Bell Tower Memorial will be a destination where community members and visitors can connect across generations while listening to the beautiful sounds of carillon bell ringing. Slated to break ground this summer, it will be a symbol to encourage those in the community to honor all Veterans, pay tribute to special loved ones, inspire learners of all ages through education, and enhance the community with a gathering place for memorial celebrations and community events.

To learn more about the Bell Tower Memorial and to watch its continual progress through updates, please visit www.belltowermemorial.org

Grafton Publics Arts Board

First Bank Financial Centre (FBFC) recently stepped in to support the Grafton Publics Arts Board by donating $2,100, what was left and required to accomplish their goal for their project of the Historic Grafton Dam. This final donation took the Grafton Public Arts Board "over the top" on finalizing the fundraising efforts for the Art in Motion dam lighting project.

“FBFC has been watching the dam project unfold over the past few years. We are very proud to support the mission of the Village of Grafton’s Public Arts Board through our donation to create Art in Motion at the Historic Grafton Dam,” said Kris Barger, Branch Manager of FBFC’s Grafton branch.

The dam illumination project was spearheaded by the Public Arts Board and FBFC’s finishing donation will now allow them to light the waterfall correctly and add an exciting element to the Grafton village. A check for $2,100 was presented to the organization on December 15th at the Grafton Village Board meeting.

“I heard of the Save the Dam project when FBFC began serving the Grafton market. When the opportunity to contribute to the Grafton Public Arts Board was presented, FBFC was happy to step in,” said Dave Sutton, FBFC VP Retail Banking and Wealth Management.

The purpose of the illumination project is to highlight the waterfall of the Bridge Street Dam. For more information on the project or other Grafton news, please visit www.village.grafton.wi.us.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Program

For the fourth consecutive year, First Bank Financial Centre (FBFC) and Ebert’s Greenhouse joined forces to raise money to purchase Thanksgiving meals for families in need in the Oconomowoc area.

FBFC and Ebert’s partnered with Piggly Wiggly in Oconomowoc to purchase food items for these meals. All meals included a Thanksgiving turkey, apple juice, fruit cocktail, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, orange and strawberry jello, corn bread, and muffin mix. “Tammy from Piggly Wiggly was incredibly helpful, and worked very thoroughly to purchase the largest quantity of food for our donation. This year, we were able to feed 60 area families and hopefully made their Thanksgiving just a bit more special,” said Heather Koltermann of FBFC’s Corporate Marketing Department.

The money for the meals was raised during a fundraiser that took place during November at Ebert’s Greenhouse. For every pumpkin sold during this time period, FBFC and Ebert’s each donated $1.00 – for a grand total donation of $1,000.00.

On November 21, FBFC and Ebert employees assembled the 60 meals at the First Congregational Church of Oconomowoc, where families then collected their Thanksgiving meals.

True Blue Day

On November 7, First Bank Financial Centre (FBFC) participated in Oconomowoc’s True Blue Day. True Blue Day was an initiative put forth by Oconomowoc Businesses in effort to fill the food pantry shelves before the holidays and help fight hunger in the community. Employees of participating companies could wear jeans on Friday, November 7, if they made a food or monetary donation.

Thanks to the generosity of First Bank Financial Centre employees, FBFC collected 240non-perishable items of food and $240.00 in monetary donations.

School Supply Drive

During the months of July and August First Bank Financial Centre embarked on its eighth annual School Supply Drive. With the help of FBFC employees, customers, and community members, they were able to donate thousands of items including notebooks, binders, folders, glue, rulers, scissors, brand new back packs, and much more.

Waukesha County

The Brookfield branch had a good response to the school supply drive this year, with several customers donating supplies which were taken to Safe Babies, Healthy Families. The organization is in Waukesha and is an anti-child abuse organization serving Waukesha County, they provide education and support to at risk parents. Once children in the program reach school age Safe Babies hold a graduation for them at the end of summer and supply them with the needed school supplies to start 4k and kindergarten.

The Hartland branch collected and donated hundreds of school supplies to the students in the Hartland Lakeside School District.

This year the FBFC’s Oconomowoc Branches decided to combine efforts and support the local Head Start program. Head Start is a Preschool program for low income families. Head Start offers parents opportunities and support as they identify and meet their own goals, nurture their children in the context of their family and culture, and advocate for communities that support children and families of all cultures. The children who attend receive necessary health screening, meals and services from specialists including speech pathologist and psychologist. The Oconomowoc location offers services to 35 children at a time and provides transportation to ensure that they are able to attend. Any donations that cannot be used in the Preschool classrooms will be used for the Oconomowoc Food Pantry Backpack Drive.

The Menomonee Falls branch also collected school supplies and will be donating them to the School District of Menomonee Falls for students who have the most need.

Ozaukee County

FBFC’s Grafton branch donated their collected school supplies to the Family Enrichment Center where they will be distributed to families in need. The Family Enrichment Center is a unique place where human service nonprofits share space, costs and passion for serving the community.

The FBFC Mequon branch also collected donations of school supplies from customers as well as their own staff. The materials were donated to Family Sharing of Ozaukee County. Family Sharing’s client base is comprised of Ozaukee County residents, which includes low-income families with children, the elderly, and those who deal with serious physical and mental health issues. As always, the Family Sharing of Ozaukee County was very appreciative of the donation.

Washington County

FBFC’s Germantown and West Bend branches participated in Washington County’s Stuff the Bus event. This initiative encourages local businesses and organizations to fill a full-sized school bus with various supplies for local families.

Along with Stuff the Bus, the West Bend branch also collected $215 in monetary donations from customers. Also at the Germantown branch, Lindsay Karlin and Jenny Mueller from Glue Dots Inc (division of Ellsworth Adhesives) donated over 500 of their “Glue Dots “for the kids in Germantown.

The Hartford branch was happy to donate their school supplies to School District of Hartford Joint 1. FBFC was pleased with the results this year, and hope the support continues to grow each year going forward!

Camp Hometown Hereos

First Bank Financial Centre (FBFC) recently raised more than $4,000 for Camp Hometown Heroes (CHTH), a non-profit organization working with the children of our fallen heroes.

CHTH is a national, free, week-long overnight summer camp for the children of fallen U.S. service members. During their visit to camp, the children have the opportunity to openly discuss their feelings and experiences through the support of pediatric grief specialists, in addition to enjoying typical summer camp activities.

Spearheaded by Kris Barger, Branch Manager of FBFC’s Grafton branch, money was raised through a variety of fundraising activities across eleven branches, including selling American flags, caramel apples, root beer floats, lemonade, s’more ingredients as well as putting on sundae bars, brat frys and bake sales. $3,210 was raised through FBFC’s branch network, while a charitable contribution of $1,000 from the corporate office, created a grand total of $4,210. Separate from the banks efforts Kris’s family donated an additional $1,468.

“Working on this was a great reminder of all the ways I am blessed,” said Kris Barger of FBFC. “I've always wanted to find a special way to show my thanks and appreciation for the sacrifices the men and women (and their children) make everyday so that we can live, work and play like we do. We found our way to say "thank you".”

Mark Mohr, President and CEO of FBFC when speaking about CHTH said, “Kris Barger is a strong advocate for Camp Hometown Heroes. She organized a highly successful fundraising program at our bank and we are very proud. FBFC is committed to giving back to the communities we serve and we are honored to participate in this wonderful program.”

On August 14th, Kris Barger presented a check for $4,210.00 to Camp Hometown Heroes on FBFC’s behalf. The combined efforts of Kris Barger and FBFC will give five children the opportunity to attend Camp Hometown Heroes next summer.

Oconomowoc Kiwanis Breakfast Club

First Bank Financial Centre recently donated $1,000 to the Oconomowoc Kiwanis Breakfast Club. These funds will be used to provide 100+ shrimp dinner tickets to volunteers from Shorehaven and Silver Streak Inc.

Oconomowoc Kiwanis Breakfast Club is part of Kiwanis International which is an organization of volunteers who are dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. For more information on the Oconomowoc Kiwanis Breakfast Club please visit oconomowockiwanis.org. As a community bank, FBFC is proud to donate to organizations like the Oconomowoc Kiwanis Breakfast Club.

Germantown Commuity Scholarship Fund

First Bank Financial Centre (FBFC) awarded Katherine Shebesta, a senior at Germantown High School, with a $1,000 college scholarship. Katherine will be pursuing a degree in Biology at UW La Crosse.

Since 1981 the Germantown Community Scholarship Fund (GCSF) has awarded more than $2.1 million in scholarships to 2,097 graduating students. With the help of organizations like FBFC, the GCSF was able to award 83 awards totaling $119,400.00 in scholarships to members of the 2014 graduating class. Continuing education for our community’s youth is part of FBFC’s charitable giving mission. They are proud to be involved with this organization.

Score Southeastern Wisconsin

First Bank Financial Centre recently donated $2,500 to SCORE Southeastern Wisconsin. These funds are a contribution to their 50th Anniversary Celebration taking place on October 9, 2014 at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee.

SCORE SE Wisconsin is a not for profit organization dedicated to helping small businesses grow, succeed and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. SCORE is a national organization that was founded in 1964 and has been supported, in part, by grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Thanks to a network of experienced business leaders who volunteer their time and talent, SCORE is able to deliver professional quality services at no charge or at a very low cost. As Wisconsin’s number one SBA Lender, FBFC is proud to donate to organizations like SCORE SE Wisconsinthat provide guidance, mentoring and information to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts

First Bank Financial Centre (FBFC) donated $1,000 to the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts. Festival of the Arts is a two-day event, August 16-17, held at Fowler Park in Oconomowoc, which showcases artists from around the country. The festival offers plenty of entertainment and many family friendly activities. Festival of the Arts is a wonderful event to sponsor and FBFC looks forward to another successful year.

Our Treasures

First Bank Financial Centre (FBFC) recently donated $1,000 to Our TreASures, an autism spectrum support network located in Brookfield. The donation will be used to provide games and equipment for social group activities, supplies and snacks for monthly group meetings and outings, and for marketing materials.

Our TreASures is a non-profit organization focused on providing support and resources to parents as well as social opportunities for those on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. The organization strives to be a safe and positive environment where children will not only have fun opportunities to develop their social skills and self confidence, but also friendships. Meetings are held the third Monday of each month at 4250 N. 137th Street in Brookfield at 6:30 p.m.

First Bank Financial Centre is proud to contribute to community groups like Our TreASures that support both children and parents in the area. If you would like more information on Our TreASures, please contact Cathy Muro at ourtreasures@support4as.com or (262) 442-2923.